Hawks, Dukes well represented at Eastern Canada Cup

Amy Deroche/OJHL Images
Trenton Golden Hawks Mason Hardy and Wellington Dukes Zack Uens have both been selected to play in the 2018 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge set for Trenton Community Gardens Nov. 19-21 where 240 players from five leagues will showcase their talents to NHL and college and university scouts.

The Trenton Golden Hawks and arch rival Wellington Dukes will be well represented at the 2018 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge set for November 19-21 at Trenton Community Gardens. The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), in partnership with the City of Quinte West and in conjunction with the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Maritime Hockey League (MHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) and Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL), Wednesday released the rosters of the 12 teams competing in the All-Star Challenge. A total of 240 players from five leagues will be on display for NHL and college and university scouts during the three-day event. Among the Golden Hawks taking part are defencemen Michael Mannara and Mason Hardy on Team OJHL Oates, and defenceman Samuel Duchesne and forward Griffin Fox on Team OJHL Nieuwendyk. Hawks head coach Thomas Milne and athletic therapist Sarah Ditmars will join Dukes head coach John Druce on the bench for Team OJHL Hawerchuk. Dukes forwards Elijah Gonsalves, Andrew Rinaldi, Dalton Bancroft and Daniel Panetta will all suit up for Team OJHL Oates, while defenceman Zach Uens and forward Tyson Gilmour will play for Team OJHL Hawerchuk. Another local product, Bloomfield native Jet Alexander of the North York Rangers, who was just named the OJHL’s Kewl Goaltender of the Month for October, will suit up for Team OJHL Oates. The eighth annual all-star showcase event is being hosted for the fourth time by the OJHL. This is the second straight year the Trenton Golden Hawks have been selected as the co-hosts of the prestigious tournament. The Gardens was also the host site for both the 2017 Winter Showcase and the 2017 Dudley Hewitt Cup. The 240 players on the 12 all-star teams will compete in a tournament format that will consist of four teams from the OJHL and two teams from each of the CCHL, QJHL, MHL and NOJHL. A total of 21 games will be played to determine the champion. Teams will play modified two-period games in a round-robin with quarter finals, semi-finals and a championship game. Teams will be awarded three points for the win, two points for the overtime win and one point for the overtime loss. The QJHL’s St. Louis squad defeated Team CCHL Red in last year’s final. The Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge is one of the premier junior A hockey events in the country and provides tremendous exposure for the top prospects of the five leagues to play in front of scouts from all over the hockey world – including the NHL, NCAA, CHL and U Sports. Additionally, it also serves as a player identification event for the coaching staff for Team Canada East in player selection for the yearly training camp and subsequent entry into the World Junior A Challenge. Ticket packages are now on sale for the event. Single Day passes cost only $10, while three-day passes are available for only $25. Children under 18 are $5. Purchases for all passes are available on line at https://tickets.trentongoldenhawks.ca/